claim

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claim:spontaneous-mutations-are-rare-isomeric-transitions-between-stable-molecular-states-separated-by-high-energy-barriers

Spontaneous mutations are rare isomeric transitions between stable molecular states separated by high energy barriers.

Schrödinger identifies quantum-jump transitions between isomeric states as the physical mechanism of mutation.

Source paper

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2021-11-09_dorian_schrodinger-life.pdf_c3c4f5

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Findings (1)

finding

Isomeric molecules are equally stable despite identical energy levels because transition requires passage through higher-energy intermediate configurations.
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Communities (2)

community

Causal emergence in biological systems
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Examines how macro-scale causal power exceeds micro-scale in living and learning systems.
Quantum mechanics foundations of genetic stability
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Explores how quantum theory—not classical physics—explains hereditary persistence, discrete mutations, and molecular information encoding in biological systems.

Concepts (1)

concept

Isomerism
supports
Property where molecules with identical atoms arranged differently exhibit different properties and remain stable due to energy barriers; model for mutation.

Related by similarity (8)

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Mutations are quantum jumps between isomeric states of the gene molecule.claim0.846
The discontinuous, jumping nature of mutations is explained by the discrete energy levels of the gene molecule.
If the gene is a large molecule with discrete quantum states and high energy barriers between isomeric configurations, then it will exhibit long-term stability and rare spontaneous mutations.hypothesis0.836
The core predictive hypothesis derived from Delbrück's model.
If mutations are isomeric jumps between states with different energy levels separated by a high barrier, then the forward and reverse mutation rates should differ, with the transition from higher to lower energy occurring more frequently.hypothesis0.830
Hypothesis on the directionality of mutation rates.
The hereditary substance is a single huge aperiodic molecule capable of discrete configuration changes (mutations) via quantum jumps.hypothesis0.759
Schrödinger's central hypothesis, later confirmed by discovery of DNA structure.
If X-rays produce mutations by energetic single events (ionization), then their efficiency should not depend on the gene's spontaneous mutability.hypothesis0.755
Another testable hypothesis about mutation induction.
Multi-stable mechanical systems with energy barriers (ratchets) provide a physical model for how genetic states persist and discretely change.hypothesis0.743
Major evolutionary transitions—from prokaryotes to eukaryotes to multicellular life—are structure-preserving transformations at the scale of life-organization itself.claim0.735
How can we, from the point of view of statistical physics, reconcile the facts that the gene structure seems to involve only a comparatively small number of atoms and nevertheless displays a most regular and lawful activity with a durability that borders upon the miraculous?question0.734
The specific puzzle about the stability of the genetic material.